Digital Media Law

With the basic parameters of the media environment established, we can move toward understanding how the law fits in. But before we get into media law issues specifically, it will be helpful to understand the basic structure of the U.S. legal system so we can better understand how Congress and the courts have helped shape media law over time.

What is the basic structure of the legal system in the United States? How do the three branches of government fit together and what role do the courts play in evaluating the constitutionality of laws and government actions? How do we find statutes, case law, and other resources necessary to understand the metes and bounds of the law? In this chapter, we will define the broad contours of the legal environment in which digital media professionals work.